Apparatus and Method of Substrate to Substrate Bonding for Three Dimensional (3D) IC Interconnects

ABSTRACT

An apparatus including a bond head, a supplemental support, a reduction module, and a transducer is provided. The bond head holds a first substrate that contains a first set of metal pads. The supplemental support holds a second substrate that contains a second set of metal pads. The aligner forms an aligned set of metal pads by aligning the first substrate to the second substrate. The reduction module contains the aligned substrates and a reduction gas flows into the reduction module. The transducer provides repeated relative motion to the aligned set of metal pads.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and a method ofsubstrate to substrate bonding for a three dimensional interconnect and,in particular, to an apparatus and a method of direct metal bonding.

BACKGROUND

As the cost of shrinking semiconductor devices continues to increase,alternative approaches, such as extending the integration of circuitsinto the third dimension or semiconductor substrate stacking, are beingexplored. Two or more substrates are bonded together to form a threedimensional structure. Several bonding processes have been implementedfor these structures.

Adhesive bonding and dielectric fusion bonding are bonding processesthat bond dielectric layers together. Adhesive bonding and dielectricfusion bonding are typically used in processes that require furtherprocessing steps after bonding, such as through via etch processes.Conventional direct metal bonding is another method of bonding thatbonds metal from one substrate to metal of another substrate. Manyconventional direct metal bonding schemes employ solder balls.

Conventional direct metal bonding may cause structural and electricaldefects when employed for Cu to Cu bonding on structures that comprise alow k dielectric. As semiconductor chips have scaled, the insulatingdielectrics between metal layers have thinned to the point where chargebuild up and crosstalk adversely affect the performance of the device.Replacing silicon dioxide or like dielectric with a low k dielectric ofthe same thickness reduces parasitic capacitance, enabling fasterswitching speeds and lower heat dissipation. However, low k materialsare typically porous materials that may not be as mechanically robust astraditional dielectrics.

In conventional direct metal to metal bonding, an additional plasmapre-treatment process may be used to remove surface oxide from the metalsurfaces of substrate metal bond pads, in contrast to a less aggressiveplasma pre-treatment found in conventional processing. The substratesmay then be transferred to a bonding tool. In transferring thesubstrates, the metal bond pads are exposed to atmosphere. The surfaceoxides and contamination may begin to accumulate on the metal surfacesof the substrates. Further, the metal bond pads are exposed toatmosphere in the conventional bonding tool. The conventional bondingtool may require a high temperature such as 400° C. for 3D IC bonding.The bonding tool may also apply pressure to the substrates of up toabout several psi, as ultrasonic bonding takes place.

A disadvantage of the conventional direct metal bonding is that anadditional plasma pre-treatment may damage the device or low k material.Additionally, the relatively high temperature of the conventionalbonding may further damage low k material. Damaged low k material mayhave a higher dielectric constant and thus result in higher RC delay forthe 3D device.

A further disadvantage of the conventional direct metal bonding is thatthe surfaces of the metal pads may have a gap separating them that has athickness of between about 20-40 μm in a solder ball process. Under theknown direct solder bonding process the bonding environment is open toatmosphere, thus the metal pad or solder re-oxidizes in the atmosphere.The metal bond pads from each of the substrates are then bonded with there-oxidation layers between them. This oxide and/or contamination layermay be porous and moisture may then corrode the metal pads, causingdevice reliability problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These and other problems are generally solved or circumvented, andtechnical advantages are generally achieved by an apparatus and methodof substrate to substrate direct metal bonding for a three dimensionalinterconnect that employs an in situ reduction module.

In accordance with an illustrative embodiment, an apparatus including abond head, a supplemental support, a reduction module, and a transduceris provided. The bond head holds a first substrate that contains a firstset of metal pads. The supplemental support holds a second substratethat contains a second set of metal pads. The aligner forms an alignedset of metal pads by aligning the first set of metal pads to the secondset of metal pads. The reduction module contains the aligned set ofmetal pads and a reduction gas flows into the reduction module. Thetransducer provides repeated relative motion to the aligned set of metalpads.

One advantage for an illustrative embodiment is that the bondingapparatus may require a lower bonding temperature than the conventionalprocess of plasma pre-treatment followed by transport to a conventionalbonding tool. Further, a less aggressive, therefore less damaging plasmapre-treatment is implemented. The undamaged low k materials will resultin an improved RC delay time. Moreover, a reduced processing time, dueto the lower temperature, may also be an advantage.

An additional advantage is that the gap of the two substrates of theresulting bonded metal pads may be reduced to less than about 5 μm,preferably less than about 1 μm. The benefit of reducing the gap to lessthan 5 μm is the reduction of moisture penetrating the gap material andcorroding the metal pads. Further, a thinner gap may ease the complexityof further processing the bonded substrates.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technicaladvantages of an illustrative embodiment in order that the detaileddescription of the invention that follows may be better understood.Additional features and advantages of an illustrative embodiment will bedescribed hereinafter, which form the subject of the claims of theinvention. It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that theconception and specific embodiment disclosed may be readily utilized asa basis for modifying or designing other structures or processes forcarrying out the same purposes of the present invention. It should alsobe realized by those skilled in the art that such equivalentconstructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of theillustrative embodiments as set forth in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the illustrative embodiments, andthe advantages thereof, reference is now made to the followingdescriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional depiction of a three dimensionalinterconnect formed by a direct metal bonding process, in accordancewith an illustrative embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a method of substrate to substrate bonding fora three dimensional interconnect, in accordance with an illustrativeembodiment;

FIG. 3 is a depiction of select components of an apparatus for waferbonding a three dimensional interconnect, in accordance with anillustrative embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the in situ reduction module, in accordancewith an illustrative embodiment; and

FIG. 5 is a top view of the in situ reduction module, in accordance withan illustrative embodiment.

Corresponding numerals and symbols in the different figures generallyrefer to corresponding parts unless otherwise indicated. The figures aredrawn to clearly illustrate the relevant aspects of the preferredembodiments and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

The making and using of the presently preferred embodiments arediscussed in detail below. It should be appreciated, however, that anillustrative embodiment provides many applicable inventive concepts thatcan be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specificembodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to makeand use the invention, and do not limit the scope of the invention.

An advantage of an illustrative embodiment is that the illustrativeembodiment provides a 3D IC with little or no low k damage, and a smallgap thickness between the first and second substrate. The gap, accordingto an illustrative embodiment, may be between less than 1 μm to 5 μms.

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional depiction of a three dimensionalsemiconductor integrated circuit (3D IC) interconnect formed by a directmetal bonding process. In this example, first substrate 102 may becomprised of a semiconductor wafer, semiconductor die, other substrate,flip-chip, multiple substrates, or the like that may be bonded to athree dimensional interconnect structure. Second substrate 104 may be asemiconductor wafer, semiconductor die, other substrate, flip-chip,multiple substrates, or the like that may be bonded to a threedimensional interconnect structure. First substrate 102 and secondsubstrate 104 may or may not be comprised of the same materials.Further, first substrate 102 and second substrate 104 may be comprisedof any combination of semiconductor wafer, semiconductor chip, othersubstrates, flip-chips, multiple substrates, and the like. Either firstsubstrate 102, second substrate 104 or both may include a layer orlayers of low k dielectric, therefore may be vulnerable to hightemperatures, high pressures, and aggressive plasma processes.

First substrate 102 includes first metal pad 106. Second substrate 104,includes second metal pad 108. Embodiments may include a plurality offirst and second metal pads. Metal pads may comprise Cu, Sn, Au, In, Al,other metals, alloys, and the like. Gap 110 comprises the gap betweenfirst substrate 102 and second substrate 104. A thickness “t” of gap 110comprises the distance between first substrate 102 and second substrate104. A thickness “t” of gap 110 may be further comprised of the metaloxide and contamination layers between first metal pad 106 and secondmetal pad 108. According to one embodiment, the thickness “t” of gap 110may be less than 5 μms. In a preferred embodiment, the thickness “t” ofgap 110 may be less than 1 μm.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of a method of direct metal bonding for threedimensional interconnects, in accordance with an illustrativeembodiment. The process begins by loading a first substrate, such asfirst substrate 102 in FIG. 1, into a bond head (step 202). Secondsubstrate, such as second substrate 104 of FIG. 1, is loaded into asupplemental support (step 204). Both the first and the secondsubstrates have at least one metal bond pad. The first and secondsubstrates may be loaded, for example, manually, or with an automatictransfer mechanism, which may or may not include a die pick up holdersystem.

The metal pads to be bonded on the first and second substrate arealigned (step 206). An aligner system may be placed between the firstand second substrates. The substrates may be aligned and then thealigner system moved from between the substrates. Aligner systems ofvarious types are well known in the art and thus will not be discussedfurther herein.

The first substrate is then leveled with respect to the second substrate(step 208). This process ensures that a tilt across the substratesrelative to each other is eliminated or minimized.

The substrates are confined in a reduction module throughout theduration of the bonding process (step 210). The reduction module may beat atmosphere or the reduction module may be under vacuum. Preferablythe reduction module is brought to a vacuum of about 1-2 torr.

A reduction gas flows into the reduction module (step 212). As thereduction gas flows, the metal oxide that may have formed on the metalpads is substantially removed allowing direct metal to metal interdiffusion. The reduction gas may be N₂+H₂, Ar+H₂, He+H₂, H₂, HCOOH, orthe like.

Optionally the leveler may cause pressure to be exerted to the alignedsubstrates through the bond head (step 214). The pressure may be between1-100 psi. Higher pressures may damage low k dielectrics in one or bothsubstrates.

Moreover, the bond head, the supplemental support, and/or both may causethe aligned substrates to be heated to a preferably uniform temperature(step 216). The temperature provided in this optional process willtypically be less than the temperature in conventional bonding tools.The temperature may preferably be between about room temperature-400° C.Higher temperatures may damage low k dielectrics in one or bothsubstrates.

Ultrasonic motion may be applied (step 218). The ultrasonic motion maybe applied through the bond head, through the supplemental support, orthrough both the bond head and the supplemental support. It is termed“relative motion” when either or both the bond head and the supplementalsupport provide ultrasonic motion. In critical alignment processes, anembodiment may implement either a bond head or supplemental supportultrasonic motion. However, in many processes, the target alignmentaccuracy may be greater than 3 μm. Since there is more latitude in thetarget metal pad alignment, an embodiment may employ relative motion.

The aligned substrates remain in the reduction module throughout thebonding process. Following the bonding process, the substrates areremoved from the reduction module (step 220). An advantage of thismethod is that the thickness of the gap, such as gap 110, in FIG. 1,between the substrates of the metal pads of the aligned substrates, maybe significantly less than prior art processing.

FIG. 3 is an illustrative embodiment of an apparatus for bonding a threedimensional interconnect. The select components of bonding apparatus 300are bond head 302, supplemental support 304, aligner 306, leveler 308,transducer 310, reduction module 312, and control unit 314. Theconfiguration shown is an example configuration. As an example, in FIG.3, bond head 302 and supplemental support 304 are shown with the bondhead on top and supplemental support under bond head 302. However, inanother embodiment the bond head and the supplemental support may be inother positions in bonding apparatus 300. Those of ordinary skill in theart will appreciate that the configuration of the illustrative featureswithin an embodiment may be varied.

Bond head 302 holds a first substrate, such as first substrate 102 inFIG. 1. Bond head 302 may be configured to hold a semiconductor wafer, aportion of a semiconductor wafer, a semiconductor die, other substrate,a flip-chip, multiple substrates, or the like. Bond head 302 may beconfigured with heating capabilities to heat the aligned substrate.Further, transducer 310 may cause bond head 302 to deliver ultrasonicmotion to the aligned substrate.

Leveler 308 is coupled to bond head 302. Leveler 308 includes a levelingsystem that levels the first substrate with respect to the secondsubstrate. Leveling is important in 3D IC interconnects so that thefinal structure has a flat surface. Further, leveler 308 may beconfigured to exert a pressure on the aligned substrate. In anillustrative embodiment, leveler 308 may optionally be configured toexert pressures between about 1-100 psi on the aligned substrate.

Supplemental support 304 may be configured with features similar to bondhead 302. Supplemental support 304 holds a second substrate, such assecond substrate 104 in FIG. 1. Supplemental support 304 may beconfigured to hold a semiconductor wafer, a portion of a semiconductorwafer, a semiconductor die, other substrate, a flip-chip, multiplesubstrates, a die pick up holder system, or the like. Supplementalsupport 304 may be configured with heating capabilities to heat thealigned substrate. Further, transducer 310 may cause supplementalsupport 304 to deliver ultrasonic motion to the aligned substrate.Temperature may be introduced in the supplemental support. Preferredheating is about room temperature-400° C.

Transducer 310 causes an ultrasonic motion to be produced in the firstsubstrate relative to the second substrate in bonding apparatus 300. Inan embodiment, relative repetitive motion may be produced through bondhead 302 and supplemental support 304.

Bonding apparatus 300 further has a control unit 314. Control unit 314is configured to control the multiple aspects of bonding apparatus 300,including substrate loading and unloading, substrate leveling,temperature, pressure, vacuum, and ultrasonic parameters. Control unit314 may comprise any type of microprocessor or the like.

The aligned substrates, 316 and 318, are enclosed in reduction module312 and reduction gases are introduced to the aligned metal pads 322.Reduction module 312 may operate at atmospheric pressure or the ambientair may be depleted under a vacuum. Preferably, reduction module 312 isbrought to vacuum of about 1-3 torr.

FIG. 4 shows a more detailed look at a reduction module. Reductionmodule 400 is a reduction module such as reduction module 312 of FIG. 3.An in situ reduction module may be any shape that encloses the first andsecond substrates. Shown here, reduction module 400 is “can shaped.”First substrate 402 and second substrate 404 are shown entirely enclosedby reduction module 400. In another embodiment, at least metal pads 406and 408 are enclosed by reduction module 400. Reduction module 400 isshown with two rows of gas inlet holes 414 surrounding the module.

FIG. 5 shows a top view of a reduction module, such as reduction module312 in FIG. 3. Gas inlet holes 502 encircle reduction module 500.Reduction gas flows (depicted by arrows 504) into reduction module 500immersing the aligned substrates (not shown). The reduction gas depletesor eliminates the metal oxide on the metal pad surfaces. An example ofthe way the reduction gas chemistry may work for the case of Cu metalbond pads and the reduction gas H₂+N₂ is as follows. The oxygen in theair combines with the Cu surface of the metal bond pads, forming metaloxide (Cu+O₂→CuO₂). The reduction gas H₂+N₂ is introduced to the metalsurface and the 0 in the CuO₂ combines with the H2 in the reduction gasand forming H₂O and depleting the metal oxide from the Cu surface((Cu+(reduction gas H₂+N₂)→Cu+H₂O)). Thus, the clean Cu surfaces maybond (Cu+Cu may inter-diffuse direct bonding).

Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to belimited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine,manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods, and steps describedin the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readilyappreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes,machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps,presently existing or later to be developed, that perform substantiallythe same function or achieve substantially the same result as thecorresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according tothe present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended toinclude within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture,compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps.

1. An apparatus comprising: a bond head configured to hold a firstsubstrate that includes a first set of metal pads; a supplementalsupport configured to hold a second substrate that includes a second setof metal pads; an aligner configured to align the first set of metalpads to the second set of metal pads, thereby forming an aligned set ofmetal pads; a reduction module containing the aligned set of metal pads,and wherein the reduction module is configured to receive a reductiongas; and a transducer configured to provide a repeated relative motionto the aligned set of metal pads.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 furthercomprising: a leveler configured to level the first substrate relativeto the second substrate.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein theleveler is configured to apply a pressure between about 0-100 psi to thealigned set of metal pads.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bondhead and/or the supplemental support is configured to provide heat tothe aligned set of metal pads.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein theheat applied is less than or equal to 400° C.
 6. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the repeated relative motion is an ultrasonic motion appliedto at least one of the bond head, the supplemental support, or both thebond head and the supplemental support.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are entirelycontained in the reduction module during bonding.
 8. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the reduction gas is selected from the group consistingof N₂+H₂, Ar+H₂, He+H₂, H₂, and HCOOH.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the bond head is configured to hold a wafer, a portion of awafer, or a die as the first substrate, and wherein the supplementalsupport is configured to hold a wafer, a portion of a wafer, or a die asthe second substrate.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thereduction module is configured to achieve a vacuum of about 1-3 torr.11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a gap between the two substratesof a resultant bonded first metal pad and second metal pad is less thanabout 5 μm.
 12. A method of bonding a three dimensional interconnect,the method comprising: aligning a first substrate that has a first setof bond pads with a second substrate that has a second set of bond pads,thereby forming aligned bond pads; contacting the first set of bond padsto the second set of bond pads; and applying repeated relative motionbetween the first set of bond pads and the second set of bond pads toform a bonding.
 13. The method of claim 12 further comprising: levelingthe first substrate relative to the second substrate.
 14. The method ofclaim 12, wherein less than about 100 psi is applied to the aligned bondpads.
 15. The method of claim 12 further comprising: applying a vacuumto the reduction module.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein a reductiongas is selected from a group consisting of N₂+H₂, Ar+H₂, He+H₂, H₂, andHCOOH and introduced into the reduction module.
 17. The method of claim12 further comprising: applying a temperature to the aligned bond padsnot exceeding 400° C.
 18. The method of claim 12, wherein the repeatedrelative motion is an ultrasonic motion applied to at least one of thebond head, a supplemental support, or both the bond head and thesupplemental support.
 19. The method of claim 12, wherein a resultinggap between the first substrate and the second substrate issubstantially less than 5 um.
 20. The method of claim 12, wherein aresultant bonded pad comprises at least one low k layer.